Clockwise from top left: Pinot noir, merlot, syrah, chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and riesling make for a good tasting lineup. / Robert Scheer / The Star

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I was born on Jan. 18, 1969 -- during the continuing "Summer of Love," which means I'm all about a good party.

Sure, it's the dead of winter now, but that's no reason not to throw a party. A hundred people, or just you and a good friend, let me be your guide. But we're going to learn something about wine, of course.

Here's what you need: Representative samples of tasty wines in a few styles.

Your goal will be to try a variety of wines so you can lock in the different flavors. You need these six wines: riesling, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, pinot noir, merlot (or cabernet sauvignon), and syrah/shiraz.

The idea for this tasting party comes from a book I frequently recommend, "Great Wine made Simple," by Andrea Robinson (Clarkson Potter, $30). It was part of a batch of holiday gift recommendations I made last month.

For the record, I don't know Robinson, she just wrote a good tome on appreciating wine that's not condescending and weaves a world in which wine is poetic yet commonplace, not some mysterious thing to be appreciated only by snobs who pull $100 bills out of their couch cushions.

Last week, I spent a couple of hours patrolling local Indy grocery stores, looking for wines. Except for one, these are American wines that will run you $10 each, give or take a couple. I'm not listing vintages here, because these labels put out consistent wines with little variation across years. The only warning I have is to get bottles that aren't more than 3 years old, especially for the white wines. You might find some old stock on shelves, but avoid it.

Riesling: Pacific Rim. Don't get a bottle labeled as sweet. You want a drier style for this tasting. This is a clean, light-tasting wine with tangy fruit. It's a light-colored sipper and often has less alcohol content than the other wines in this tasting.

Sauvignon blanc: White Truck and Kenwood do a nice job with this. This wine will smell different than the riesling. You might smell grapefruit or freshly cut grass. It'll taste heavier in your mouth, and you may taste something that reminds you of tart apples and peaches.

Chardonnay: Chateau Ste. Michelle. If you buy another wine, be sure it's not labeled as naked or as having been made in stainless steel tanks. You want one aged in oak for this grouping. This drink is darker than the other whites. You might smell vanilla or butterscotch. It will feel heavier in your mouth, and you might taste butter and an interesting waxy quality that's not there in the other two white wines.

Pinot noir: It's tough to get an inexpensive pinot noir that tastes like it should. Most cheap pinots I've had remind me of Now and Later candy or Nerds. But Mirassou does a tasty $10 bottling. You might smell and taste strawberries and tart cherry. This is a more acidic wine than the other reds.

Merlot or cabernet sauvignon: These grapes are similar and can be tough to tell apart, even for the pros. For this tasting, I'd recommend one of the Washington merlots I wrote about last week: Columbia Crest Grand Estates, 14 Hands or Chateau Ste. Michelle. The color is much darker than the pinot, and you'll smell rich fruit that may remind you of plums and ripe berries. It should taste smooth and lush, much less tangy than the pinot noir.

Syrah/shiraz: Remember, these are the same grape, and the one I'm recommending is Australian. Koonunga Hill, made by Penfolds, an Aussie label that makes wines in all price ranges. This wine will be the darkest of all and will look more purple than the merlot. The aroma is intense, and you might pick up some peppery flavors, along with juicy fruit that smells and tastes rougher than the merlot. The "dry" sensation you're picking up is tannin and comes from the dark skins of the grapes.

When you pour these wines, put them in the order I list and let people taste at their leisure. Take a look at the photo, and fill the glasses only about a third of the way; you want space to swirl the glass so the aroma develops. Be sure to put out water crackers and mellow cheeses for folks. Don't serve anything strong, like garlicky pesto, it'll screw up the flavors. And, as with any tasting, encourage your guests to skip the cologne.

Once you learn to nail down the flavors of these six wines, you can start branching out, and Robinson's book shows you how. You'll start comparing Old World versus New World wines and aged versus young, and adding other grapes like zinfandel and sangiovese.